B.C. (Before COVID), plenty of us lived life at a frenetic pace and had resigned ourselves that it would always be that way. Fast-forward to COVID-19 lockdown and a forced stop. We actually had room to breathe in our lives, whether we liked it or not. Being forced to taste the simple life for a few months reminded a lot of us how much we actually longed for a less frenzied existence.
With things opening back up, some folks are trying to figure out how to keep a little bit of that margin. Maybe right now you’re already missing your quarantine life and you’re finding that, once again, you don’t have time to do the things you want to do. If this is true for you, you don’t have to settle.
Here are five simple things that can help you reclaim or keep margin in your life moving forward.
* Decide what you don’t want to pick back up. Make a list of all the things you and your family were participating in B.C., and decide now what you’re not willing to add back into your schedule. Making the decision ahead of time will make it easier to say no as opportunities arise. Think of it as being proactive instead of reactive when it comes to knowing what your priorities are and sticking to them even under pressure. This will require you to keep your guard up so you can recognize when something is encroaching on the boundaries you have set.
* Schedule quiet time just like you would schedule any other appointment. It’s that important. Living life in a whirlwind leaves you feeling empty and exhausted, not to mention a hot mess when it comes to relating with the ones you love. Whether it’s early in the morning, the middle of your day or right before you go to bed, taking a few minutes to reflect can make a world of difference in how you go through your day as well as how you rest at night.